Donna Caponi

“I thought,” said Caponi, “how can Byron Nelson see this putt break left to right. It’s right to left.” Flustered, she backed off the putt to regain her composure. She had already weathered a 15-minute delay after hitting her tee shot on 18 when an electrical storm passed through. Now was the moment for which she had waited a lifetime and she questioned her read. Like a true champion she decided to trust the line and proceeded to coolly sink the right-to-left putt.

“Thank goodness I went with my own instincts,” she said.

At the press conference, she learned that Nelson was right after all. It turns out his monitor was showing a camera angle from the opposite direction!

That victory launched a Hall of Fame career that spanned 24 years from 1965-1988 during which she collected 24 titles and four Major Championships. While the first U.S. Women’s Open title was sweet, joining Mickey Wright as only the second player to defend the championship successfully was even sweeter. “A lot of people know my first win was the U.S. Open. That was a thrill. But winning the second U.S. Open was the biggest deal. I knew a lot more the second time around,” said Caponi, who also equaled Wright’s record score of 287 that week.

Sixteen years after that first Major title, she captured her final one at the 1981 LPGA Championship. Again, it was a storybook ending. Caponi rolled in a 25-footer for birdie on the final hole for a one-stroke victory.

Caponi spent the final seasons of her career trying to win six more times to qualify for the Hall of Fame, and the pressure took the fun out of the game. She retired in 1992, figuring she would have to settle for two U.S. Women’s Opens and two LPGA Championships as her most prized accomplishments.